Pigeon Pose (Prep)

Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana (prep)

Pigeon Pose (Prep)
⇄ both sides
CategorySeated & Forward Folds TypeStretch LevelIntermediate Hold60 sec MusclesHips, Legs BreathingSlow, deep breathing; relax your hips with each exhale

Pigeon Pose prep, or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (prep), is a hip stretch on the floor: your front leg is bent with the shin resting on the mat, your back leg extends behind you, and your torso gradually lowers forward. There's no backbend and no foot grab; those come with King Pigeon, the advanced version of the pose.

The pose appears in 5 sequences. Its longest hold, 80 seconds per side, is in Yin Practice.

How to do it

  1. EnterFrom tabletop, bring one knee forward toward your wrist and lay your shin on the floor at an angle. Extend your back leg straight behind you. Lower onto your forearms or your forehead.
  2. HoldYour pelvis sinks evenly toward the floor, without tipping to one side. Direct your breath into your hips, and with every exhale let your body grow heavier.
  3. ExitPush up with your hands, tuck your back toes, and return to tabletop.
More detail

The angle of your front shin controls the intensity. Beginners are better off with the heel nearer the groin and the shin on a diagonal; the closer your shin gets to parallel with the front edge of the mat, the stronger the stretch and the more it asks of your knee.

Keep your front foot active, toes drawn back toward your shin, so the knee twists less. If your pelvis tips to one side, slide a block or folded blanket under the buttock of your front leg. Stay up on straight arms with a long spine at first, and only then lower onto your forearms.

Benefits

One of the deepest hip openers.

Pigeon prep stretches the glutes and outer thigh of your front leg and lengthens the front of the thigh on your back leg. That's why it shows up in sequences for hips, splits and backbends. It also prepares you for Front Splits, or Hanumanasana, and for seated poses with crossed legs.

Cautions

  • Knee injuries — do a Supine Twist with your knee to your chest instead

This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.

Common mistakes

  • Collapsing toward your front-leg side. Level your pelvis, with a prop if needed.
  • Pushing through knee pain. Draw your heel closer or fold less.
  • Letting your back leg angle out to the side. Its knee and the top of the foot face the floor.
  • Flopping onto your forehead with a rounded back as soon as you set up. Give your hips time to open first.
  • Holding one side noticeably longer than the other.

Where it appears

Similar poses

Frog Pose (Stretch) Frog Pose (Stretch) Intermediate Lotus Pose Lotus Pose Intermediate Yogic Seal Pose Yogic Seal Pose Intermediate Gate Pose Gate Pose Intermediate Three-Limbed Forward Fold Three-Limbed Forward Fold Intermediate Heron Pose Heron Pose Intermediate

Questions

How is Pigeon prep different from King Pigeon? In the prep version your torso folds forward and your back leg lies straight. King Pigeon adds a backbend and a grab of the back foot on top of the hip opening, making it an advanced pose.

What if my knee hurts in Pigeon? With a knee injury the pose is contraindicated, and the app offers a Supine Twist with your knee drawn in instead. If you're not injured, reduce the shin angle and prop up your pelvis.

How long should I hold Pigeon? In the sequences, 35 to 80 seconds on each side; the pose card says one minute.

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